Denes Kumar, Vimala Perumal & Deepavali

Today theSun feature my interview with producer and actor Denes Kumar and his wife a film director Vimala Perumal .... where they talk about their career, their married life and their deepavali celebration. Read the full story below

Headline: Blazing A New Trail 
By Bissme S 
Sunpix Norman Hui 


WITH Deepavali dawning tomorrow, theSun is shining a spotlight on the newest power couple in the Malaysian film industry, actor producer Denes Kumar and director Vimala Perumal. 
It will be a bright Festival of Lights indeed for them as their latest film, the comedy Vedigundu Pasangge (Rowdy Folks), has created history by becoming the highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film, raking in more than RM1.3 million at the box office. 
No local Tamil film has ever collected more than RM1 million at the box office – that is, until now. Produced by Denes and Vimala’s production house Veedu Production Sdn Bhd, Vedigundu Pasangge – which was released in July – also has the distinction of being the first Malaysian Tamil film to be shown in the United Kingdom. There are plans to screen it in India by the end of the year as well. Denes not only produced the film but also plays the lead, while Vimala is the director of the film. 
When asked how he felt taking instructions from his wife on the set, 36-year-old Denes says: “I am used to taking instructions from her in our house. “The only difference is that inside our house ... no one else sees it.” 
On more a serious note, he adds that he has the highest respect for his wife as a film director. 
“She knows exactly what she wants and it is easy to work for a director who knows what he or she wants. She will also make sure you never overact.” 
To Denes’ acknowledgement that “when we are on the set, she is the captain of the ship”, Vimala is quick to reply that “as the producer, my husband has prepared the ship for me to navigate”. Vedigundu Pasangge is the third film Vimala has helmed. Her first was Vilaiyaatu Pasange (Playful Folks) in 2011, followed by 2014’s Vetti Pasanga (Useless Folks). The couple have already lined up their next film, which will likely begin shooting early next year. Vimala says the film will be a horror-comedy. “This will be my first attempt at directing a horror film.” 
Denes is determined that their new film will have stronger content and better production values. 
“We have created a benchmark with Vedigundu Pasangge, and we certainly do not want to produce anything lower than this benchmark.” 
Denes, who started out as a dancer and choreographer, has a varied career ranging from hosting TV shows to acting and producing. 
Malaysian Tamil Association Awards in 2015, as well as the most popular artiste and best TV anchor at the Malaysias Kalai Ulagam Awards the same year. 
Vimala has been involved in the performing arts since her university days, where she was studying for her degree in film and animation. 
In fact, it was during a cultural show she organised at her university in 2001 that she met Denes. They began dating, but broke up in 2005 and went their separate ways. 
“I missed him very much and I think he missed me too,” Vimala recalls. 
Three years later, they got back together, and started their production house. The couple eventuallygot married in 2010. 
“We are not a perfect couple,” Vimala admits. 
“We have a lot of arguments. We work together. We write scripts together.” 
She says since no two people think alike, they of course argue. But she believes that arguments are normal and healthy between a married couple. 
“We never go to bed angry. We always patch things up before we sleep. If we do not patch things up, he cannot sleep, and neither can I. No matter how much we argue, deep down, I know he cares for me.”  
Denes likes the fact that his wife is brutally honest about his performance. 
“I love listening to criticism, because criticism improves you. When [my wife] praises me, I know for sure it is genuine and comes from her heart,” he says, but adds with a laugh: “She seldom praises me!” 
Despite their busy lives, the two also make sure they set aside time to spend with their two children, six-year-old daughter  
Dashena, and three-year-old son Sharwin. 
Vimala remembers when Denes had to perform on a television show, and could not celebrate their daughter’s second birthday, she decided to surprise him by bringing their daughter to meet him backstage, along with a cake. 
“He was literately in tears when he saw us,” she recalls. 
Denes also makes it a point not to take on any jobs during this festive season. 
“I try to put my family first.” 
For the past eight years, the couple have been celebrating Deepavali at Vimala’s hometown in Sungai Petani, Kedah. But as her parents moved to Kuala Lumpur this year, the family will be celebrating the holiday in the city for the first time since their marriage. 
Denes and Vimala join theSun in wishing all those who celebrate the Festival of Lights a very happy Deepavali, and a safe journey to those who are travelling back home.

PS: Special thanks … to Mid Valley Megamall for the use of its premises for the shoot; R. Yogash for styling Denes, Vimala and their two children; Vrayz Designs for supplying their wardrobe; and Omtara for their accessories.

Deepavali Pix For theSun

Five Indian classical dancer pose elegantly against the Majestic indian temple - thank you Sutra Foundation,  Sri Shakti Devasthanam Temple at bukit rotan Selangor for making this photo shoot a success. Some  photos were taken by theSun photographer Amirul Syafiq 

Ario Bayu

I had the chance to meet Ario Bayu, the well known Indonesian actor over coffee one saturday and this is the result from our conversation  

Headline: The Modest Actor 

By Bissme S 

INDONESIAN actor Ario Bayu has once again delivered an emotionally-charged performance, this time, in One Two Jaga. In director Namron’s latest film, he plays an Indonesian immigrant who wants a better life for his son.

But the 33-year-old is quick to give credit to others. “Filmmaking is always a collaborative effort. You need a good script … a good director … a good cast and a good crew to make a film work.

“I am just a small part of this collaborative effort. I am just a facilitator of a good script.”

However, this modest actor has never failed to win the hearts of his audience and critics with his performances.

He has played a great variety of roles from gay cop in the thriller Kala, to the first president of Indonesia in the biopic Soekarno: Indonesia Merdeka.

Back home, his role as the 17th-century king of Mataram in Central Java who fought against the Dutch colonial masters in the biopic Sultan Agung: Tahta, Perjuangan, Cinta, currently playing in Indonesia’s cinemas, is receiving rave reviews.

He is in the midst of shooting his new film, Darah Daging, where his character plans to rob a bank so that he can pay the medical expenses for his ailing mother.

Ario knew he wanted to make music and acting his career from a very young age.

“I was not doing well in my studies,” he recalls, and fell in love with acting when he took part in his first school play at age 14.

His parents had migrated to New Zealand when he was eight. But he returned to Indonesia to pursue his interest in acting and music when he was 19.

He had wanted to know his roots again, he explains. His parents and sister continue to stay in New Zealand.

Initially, he had a hard time fitting in, upset by the corruption, bureaucracy, traffic jams and pollution in the country.

“I was attached to a musical band and I remember writing lyrics against the establishment,” he says with a smile. But he has since become more accepting of his surroundings.

Ario survived university for just a year before dropping out. “I suspect I have learning difficulties,” he says, “but I never got tested.”

His passion for acting earned him a four-month theatre scholarship at the prestigious The Globe Theatre in London, and this experience brought out the better actor in him.

Ario’s rise to fame has not been entirely smooth. For example, in 2012, when he was picked to play the Indonesian president in Soekarno: Indonesia Merdeka, there was a huge backlash.

Critics believed that he wasn’t Indonesian enough to play the legendary leader due to his years of living abroad.

But he did not allow such criticisms to get the better of him. He let his acting speak on his behalf and his performance won his critics over.

In 2013, Ario made his first foray into Hollywood in the film, Java Heat, acting opposite Kellan Lutz and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke.

That same year, he appeared alongside Hollywood actress Joan Chen in the HBO Asia production Serangoon Road.

Though Hollywood is known to stereotype Asian actors, Ario intends to carve his own niche in Tinseltown.

“Every actor in the world has a Hollywood dream, and I am no different,” he says.

Last year, the actor tied the knot with French model Valentine Payen. The couple reportedly met on the set of Java Heat four years ago.

Ario prefers to keep his private life private. He says: “We are like any other couple. We fight and we make up. My personal life does not contribute anything interesting.”

He also plans to go into directing but he is not rushing into it. As he says, “a director needs to have a voice and I have not found my voice, yet”.

But when he does, you can expect Ario to shine, just like the way he has done with his acting career.

Ario in One Two Jaga

Ario in Java Heat

Ario in Soekarno: Indonesia Merdeka.

Ario in Sultan Agung: Tahta, Perjuangan, Cinta, 

Kuman Pictures

History has been made in the Malaysian film scene. The new film production house Kuman Pictures has become the first production house to pay royalty to the cast and crew . Read the full story

Headline: A New Ballgame 

By Bissme S

KUMAN PICTURES is a new production house, having just been established early this month.

Despite not having released any films as yet, Kuman has already made history as the first production house to agree to share box-office profits with everyone who works on its films – from the cast to the crew.

“It is only fair that we pay ‘royalties’, and we want them to feel a part of something that they have created,” said Amir Muhammad, the managing director for Kuman Pictures, at a recent press event.

Amir, who also runs the publishing house Fixi, is following the same model used by publishers to pay royalties to their authors.

For someone who even pays royalties to his book cover designers, he doesn’t see why paying ‘royalties’ to the cast and crew cannot be implemented by other film production houses.

Amir said: “If their excuse is that it is difficult to pay royalty to their cast and crew, then, we can teach them. There is a certain accounting software that is not difficult to use.”

The idea to start a film production house came about after Amir read well-known American B-movie director Roger Corman’s memoir How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime.

Corman is known as ‘The Pope of Pop Cinema’, and a trailblazer in the world of independent films. He had mentored and inspired many film directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme in their youth, who later went on to make award-winning films.

Asked what impressed him most about Corman, Amir said: “He works with whatever he has. He doesn’t wait for the ideal budget and the ideal cast.”

Kuman will specialise in low-budget horror and thriller films, ranging from RM300,000 to RM500,000 per film.

“We chose the name Kuman, which means ‘germ’, as a reminder to not make big movies,” Amir said.

“Corman said in an interview that he cannot imagine spending US$35 million (RM145 million) on a movie, and ‘if you have that much money, you should fix urban poverty’.”

So what took Amir so long to start a production house?

“In the past, if you started a company, you needed a partner,” he said.

“I did not want to partner someone with money but is not ‘the right one’. I do not want somebody who will be problematic later, for whatever reason.”

Early this year, the government changed the rules on partnerships for production companies, and Amir jumped at the chance to start his.

Kuman already has three local films in production – a Chinese, a Malay and a Tamil film.

The first is Two Sisters, directed by James Lee, who has helmed horror films such as Histeria and Claypot Curry Killers. The RM300,000 film in Mandarin was shot in 13 days in July, and will be released in March next year.

The story centres on the relationship between two sisters (played by Emily Lim and Lim Mei Fen). When one sister is released from an asylum, she moves in with her elder sister in their eerie family home.

Slowly, it will be revealed the sisters are hiding some dark family secrets.

“There is a twist in its ending,” hinted Lee, who is using films like The Sixth Sense and The Othersas his inspirations.

The Malay film, Roh, is a period horror film about a family who welcomes a lost child into their isolated house.

The child predicts that everyone in the family will die, and they start to feel a disturbing presence.

Director Emir Ezwan, who is known for his commercials and short films, is making his feature film debut with Roh, which will begin shooting at the end of the year.

“I am going for a tone that is unsettling and bleak,” said Emir, who is a big fan of slow-burn horror and thrillers.

Director M.S. Prem Nath helms the Tamil-language thriller Ghost Hotel which is about a woman who goes in search of her lost brother.

Filming begins next year, with part of the film to be shot in Penang Hill’s Crag Hotel, renowned as one of the most haunted locations in Malaysia.

Prem has high hopes for the film, his fourth directorial effort, saying: “I am thrilled that I will be getting royalties for my film. It has given me the [motivation] to work even harder.”

Mamat Khalid

Film director Mamat Khalid spoke to theSun about his movie Hantu Kak Limah which is huge box office hit. 

Headline: A Scary Great Success 

By Bissme S

FILM director Mamat Khalid’s latest film Hantu Kak Limah is already a smashing success, having collected more than RM30 million at the box office in just two weekends. This makes it the highest-grossing Malaysian film of all time.

Mamat, 55, first introduced Kak Limah in 2010, in Hantu Kak Limah Balik Rumah. In 2013, he brought the character back in his film, Husin, Mon dan Jin Pakai Toncit. Now, it looks like the third time is the charm for Mamat and Kak Limah.

The horror-comedy centres on Kak Limah (played by actress Delimawati) whose ghost is haunting the people of Kampung Pisang, including her husband, Khuda (T.J. Isa).

The film also stars Awie, returning as Khuda’s friend Husin, as well as Zul Ariffin and Uqasha Senrose.

In an exclusive interview with Mamat, the director revealed the scary secrets behind his successful film series.

*What do you think of the film’s success?

“Kak Limah has had a strong fanbase since I created the character eight years ago. I expected her die-hard fans to be eager to catch her in action again, but I never expected this overwhelming success.”

*Are we going to see Kak Limah again?

“Yes. However, it will not be soon. Maybe, I will take another two years – or even more – before bringing Kak Limah to the big screen again. Right now, I am busy working on Rock 4 (the fourth instalment of a musical comedy series based on a fictional rock group).”

*Some people have said you should immediately make another Kak Limah film to capitalise on its success.

“That is not how I work. It took me three years to direct the second instalment of Kak Limah after the first movie, and it took me another five years [after that] to direct the third instalment of Kak Limah. It takes time to write a good script. I do not want to rush and produce a sloppy production. Besides, you want to make the audience rindu (miss) Kak Limah. When you rindu someone, you will be eager to see that person again.”

*What can we expect in the fourth instalment of Kak Limah?

“Kampung Pisang will be more multiracial. You will see more non-Malay faces. Even in real life, the Malay villages have non-Malays.In the old days, you always find most kedai runcit (provision shops) in Malay kampungs run by the Chinese.”

*There is a theory going around that Kak Limah is your alter ego.

“She is not me. But all the characters I have created in my films are loosely based on people I know.”

*Who is Kak Limah based on?

“Kak Limah is based on three [stories] from my childhood.The first [story was about] my neighbour. Her name was Kak Ramah. She died very young, just after getting married. Then, I heard stories about an old woman who [apparently] rose from the grave and created a commotion in my village. The third person is a woman who had performed a black magic ritual (nasi kangkang) to make her husband stupid, and follow her orders blindly. When she died, her soul was not at peace. She returned as a ghost to beg her husband for forgiveness. But because she had used black magic, her husband was no longer of sound mind to hear her forgiveness.I took all these stories, and put a funny spin to them.”

*Where do you get your sense of humour from?

“From my family. They are funny people. There is a lot of laughter in my house. My brother (who is the legendary cartoonist Lat) is a serious film buff, and he introduced me to many films. Watching these films influenced me to become a filmmaker.”

*Do you want to direct a serious film?

“Yes. I have written the script for [a historical epic] that focuses on the murder of the first British resident in Malaysia, J.W.W. Birch. His death marked the beginning of the British empire in Malaysia. I will tell the story from the British and the Malay perspective, and will let the audience judge who they want to believe. Currently, I am trying to get funding for this project.”

*Who are the filmmakers who influenced your work?

“Mat Sentul and Federico Fellini. I would like to believe that when you combine them both, you have me (laughs). They are so creative, and can blend surrealistic elements into their works so effortlessly. I love how their minds work.”

*Merdeka is tomorrow. What are the changes you would like to see in the country?

“As we enter the era of a new Malaysia, I hope we can all live in harmony, put our differences aside and work together.I believe we were doing that, we are doing that, and we will continue to do that. But a few bad hats are making it difficult for us.”

Pulang

The epic Malaysian movie,  Pulang,  based on three generation in a family will be hitting the cinema in July 26. theSun had carried two interviews on the film. The first one was with the director Kabri Bhatia in 2017  and recently, with the CEO of Primeworks Studios  Ahmad Izham Omar  and the lead actor Remy Ishak 

------------------------------------------------------------

THE FIRST INTERVIEW :  \

Oct 9, 2017 ( with Kabir Bhatia) 

Headline: Love Across The Seas 

By Bissme S

DURING my interview with director Kabir Bhatia, he eagerly shows me scenes from his upcoming film Pulang that he has on his smartphone – and I must admit, they are impressive.

One can easily see that Pulang, an RM6 million epic love story that spans three generations from the 1940s to 2010, has a special place in his heart.

"Pulang is based on factual events," explains Kabir, who has previously produced films such as Cinta (2006) and Sepi (2008).

In the 1940s, British merchant ships would stop by Singapore along the trade route, and the captains would hire locals to work onboard the ships, even offering them a chance to work in England.

Many Malay men would leave their families to work on these ships. Unfortunately, some never returned, instead choosing to stay overseas, and start new families.

Blending elements of history and fiction, Kabir tells a story of Othman, an ambitious fisherman who is eager to see the world and provide a better life for his wife, Thom, and their son, Omar.

Othman decides to become a seaman on a British merchant ship, but Thom does not want him to go and begs him to abandon his dream.

Othman promises to return home after making his fortune. Unfortunately, he never did, and a heartbroken Thom continues to pine for him.

The story then shifts to the 1960s, with an older Thom begging a now grown-up Omar to search for his father but it is in vain.The final part takes place in 2010, and the task of finding out what happened to Othman now falls upon their grandson, Ahmad.This time, Ahmad's search for his grandfather leads to a surprising revelation.

"I am not telling the story only [through] Othman's eye," says Kabir."I am also telling the story [through] his son's and his grandson's eyes."

Actor Remy Ishak and newcomer Puteri Aishah Sulaiman star as Othman and Thom in Pulang, which opens early next year.

Others in the cast include Azrel Ismail, Erwin Dawson, Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan, Juliana Evans, and Sherry Al-Jeffri. Most of the scenes were shot in Terengganu. Sets were built in a studio for the dock scenes for Liverpool, Singapore and Hong Kong.

"When you are in a studio, you have better control [over] your environment," says Kabir, adding that he also used CGI for the historical scenes to capture the authentic atmosphere and scenery.

A lot of research was done for the film. One of the books used as a basis for the story was Tim Bunnell's From World City to the World in One City: Liverpool through Malay Lives.

"I was very interested in getting the details right," Kabir says.

Bunnell, an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore, traced the migration of Malay sailors from Singapore and Malaya who settled in England during the 1950s and 1960s in this book.

For Kabir's next project, he will be directing an English language animated film titled Zak: The Last Orangutan, with plans to distribute the film worldwide.

Set in the exotic jungles of Borneo, Zak is described as a cross between Kung Fu Panda and Indiana Jones.The story revolves around Zak, who is now the world's last living orangutan. Rescued by a family of primatologists as a baby, Zak grows up and becomes best friends with their son, Tom.

When his human family is forced to leave Zak behind, he finds himself on the greatest adventure of his life!

"The best thing about animation is that you can easily go back and correct your mistakes," says Kabir.

"This is my first time directing an animation, and I have always wanted a new challenge." 

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SECOND INTERVIEW 

July 4, 2018 ( Interview Ahmad Izham Omar, Kabir Bhatia & Remy Ishak)  

Headline :Coming Home atlast 

by Bissme S

A recent private screening of Primeworks Studios’ latest film Pulang has its chief executive officer, Ahmad Izham Omar, and his father, Omar Othman, in tears. The story is something very close to their hearts.

“Pulang is inspired by my grandfather’s life,” explains the 49-year-old Ahmad, who says his grandfather, Othman Alias, was a

poor fisherman from Malacca.

Determined to give a better life to his wife and son, he took up a job as a sailor on a British merchant ship and sailed around

the world. Though Othman promised to return home, he never did.

“My father was only 11 years old when his father left,” recalls Ahmad, who co-wrote the screenplay with screenwriter

Mira Mustaffa (Nur kasih: The Movie, Anak Merdeka).

“But my father never stopped loving my grandfather. He never stopped telling me stories about my grandfather.”

Ahmad says his father managed to track down his grandfather in England, in the city of Liverpool, in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, he failed to bring Othman back to Malaysia. In 2008, the then 39-year-old Ahmad decided to track down

his grandfather, as he wanted to know why Othman never returned home.

Also, as Ahmad says, “when you get older, you want to get close to your roots, your heritage and your family”.

So did he meet his grandfather? Did he find the answers he was looking for?

With a laugh, Ahmad says: “You have to watch the film to get the answers.”

Actor Remy Ishak plays Ahmad’s grandfather Othman, while popular TV actor Azrel Ismail makes his film debut as

Ahmad’s father, Omar. Playing Ahmad himself is Singapore-born actor Erwin Dawson.

Directed by Kabir Bhatia and made with a budget of RM6 million, Pulang will hit cinemas nationwide on July 26. The film is set in various locations including Malacca, Hong Kong, Okinawa, Jeju Island and Liverpool.

When asked what was his biggest challenge bringing the story to the big screen, Kabir says: “The film spans from

the 1940s to 2010, and I have to make sure I am historically correct, especially with the setting.”

Kabir and his team looked at pictures from 1940s, and used CGI (computer generated imagery) to recreate the settings.

Some quarters have labelled

Pulang as Ahmad’s ‘syok sendiri’ (vanity) project, and accused him of abusing his power to get the film made.

But Ahmad dismissed the notion. “This is not just my story,” he says. 

“This is a story about our country, too. I am telling a part of our history that has been forgotten.”

While researching the past for this story, he learned that in the 40s, many Malay men left their families behind to work as

seamen on merchant ships plying the oceans.

“The captains of these merchant ships liked hiring Malays because they made better seamen,” Ahmad says.

“I wanted to show that our ancestors had travelled and seen the world ... and it is about time for us to be proud of them.”

His research included reading Tim Bunnell’s book, From World City to the World in One City: Liverpool

through Malay Lives. Bunnell, an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore, traced the migration of Malay sailors from Singapore and Malaya who settled in England during the 1950s and 60s.

On the message of the film, Ahmad says: “Life may give you interesting adventures. But your adventures means nothing

if you have no family to come home to.”

Lead actor Remy (above) also believes the film highlights the importance ofm family. The actor confessed that he

initially had a hostile relationship with his own father.

“I came from a broken family,” he says. 

“My parents divorced when I was 13. My father was an army man, and he was very strict with me. I

did not like him. I was distant from him.”

Remy was totally captivated by the script and the depictions of the relationship between a father and his son, and the relationship between a grandfather and grandson, touched his heart. It eventually pushed Remy to reconcile with his own estranged father, and now both father and son share a warm relationship.

“Sometimes, a good script can make you a better man,” Remy says.

Ramli Ibrahim ( Father's Day & Hari Raya)

Since father days is near ( June 17 ) and Hari Raya tomorrow, the iconic dancer Ramli Ibrahim speaks to theSun about serving pasta to his Raya guests and visiting his wet market to his father 


Headline: A Nostalgic Celebration  
By Bissme S


THIS year, Father’s Day falls on the third day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Sunday). As Malaysia’s acclaimed dancer Ramli Ibrahim, like Muslims everywhere, prepares to welcome the month of Syawal, he pauses to reminisce about his late father, Ibrahim Mohd Amin.
“My father passed away in 1987 from colon cancer. He was 71,” recalls Ramli, who was then attached to a professional dance company in Sydney, Australia.
“I left the dance company and returned home to look after him and I am glad that I did.”
The 65-year-old dance icon admits that he was closer to his mum than his dad, but he loved his dad just the same.
“My father was quiet, subdued and always calm and collected.
He was the total opposite of my mother, who was more of a drama queen.
“I inherited my mother’s emotional traits, but I think I also inherited my father’s wellproportioned physique. He was
outstanding in sport, and was a golf champion. Our cupboards were full of his trophies.”
Ramli notes that his dad was strict with his brothers, but not his sisters. As the youngest of six children, by the time he was born,
his father had mellowed with age. 
“He never scolded me,” says Ramli, but adds it might be because he always came first in his class, scoring all As in his
exams, and even managed to get into the prestigious Royal Military College.
Ramli recalls one time when his dad was serving as an neducation inspector and came to conduct checks at his school
(Pasar Road Malay School). Ramli was then in Standard One.
“He walked into my class and as the class monitor, I promptly stood up and commanded my class to stand while singing
out: ‘Selamat pagi, ayah’ (Good morning, father), instead of ‘cikgu’ (teacher)!”
Ramli also has his dad to thank\ for his love and fascination for the hikayats (old Malay literature) such as Malim Deman, Pendawa Lima, and Panca Tantra. His dad was a lecturer at the Specialist Teacher Training Institute (STTI) in Cheras, and
specialised in Malay literature.
“He also exposed me to the works of Zaaba, the father of Malay literature. I used to read them in Jawi. I was fascinated by
the stories I read.”
His dad, Ibrahim, was a graduate of Maktab Perguruan Sultan Idris (now Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris) in Tanjung Malim, which counts among its alumni, freedom fighters who fought against the Japanese and for independence, as well as distinguished artists such as Yeoh Jin Leng, Tuan Syed Ahmad Jamal, and many more.
Ramli’s father never shared  any stories from the war, although his mum once told him his dad had been beaten by Japanese
soldiers, which left scars on his back.
“My father kept in touch with most of his friends and whenever we visited Singapore, Malacca and other places, we would visit
them and there would be a great get-together,” recalls Ramli, adding that once his dad brought Ramli’s sketches and drawings to
show to the dashing Tuan Syed.
Ramli also fondly recalls the times he followed his father to the market in the early mornings.
“The Sentul wet market was my favourite haunt, and the Pudu market was the goriest. [In those days], one could find a motley of
exotic animals – from pythons, monitor lizards to baby mice.
“Due to this exposure, wet markets are always the first place I visit whenever I am in a foreign place, whether it is in Chennai
(India) or Kota Baru (Malaysia).”
Come Hari Raya, his dad always prepared lemang, which he cooked in the oven instead of on an open fire. His dad would
cut the buluh (bamboo) to smaller pieces to put in the oven.
Ramli says his dad’s ingenious way of cooking lemang was not only convenient, but also cut down on smoke. As for him, he started his own tradition of serving pasta and salads to his siblings who visit him on the second day of Raya.
“They enjoy what I serve because they get tired of the usual ketupat and lemang they get everywhere, and want to eat
something different.”
As Ramli prepares for his Raya celebration, he joins theSun in wishing all readers Selamat Hari Raya, Happy Father’s Day, and a
wonderful weekend.